Page 255 - Solid Waste Analysis and Minimization a Systems Approach

EXISTING DATA COLLECTION 233

■ SIC code
■ Service provided or product manufactured
■ Number of employees
■ Volume and weight of the following materials recycled
■ Paper
■ Plastics
■ Styrofoam
■ Cardboard
■ Glass
■ Wood
■ Ferrous metals
■ Nonferrous metals
■ Other materials
■ Additional comments or notes

A benefit of this data source is its level of detail. A drawback is the difficulty asso-
ciated with collecting data, as in the ECDML assessments, in particular the high cost
and time of each assessment. An assumption from this data is that it is accurate and
properly collected. This is also a potential source of error. Contacting and verifying
information with the Youngtown State University IWMP manager minimized this
potential source of error.

14.5.3 STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT WASTE SURVEYS

Many states in the United States have created agencies to monitor and reduce waste
generation in their jurisdiction (Arkansas, Indiana, Missouri, New Hampshire, and
Ohio). For example, Ohio has created 64 solid waste district throughout the state to
monitor and reduce solid waste generation. Several of these solid waste districts con-
ducted industrial surveys to estimate the waste tonnage generated and recycling lev-
els of businesses in their district. The waste tonnage and recycling level reporting are
often required by state and federal environmental organizations and aid in measuring
progress of waste reduction goals. To begin data collection from the government
agencies, a letter was sent to each office requesting information on industrial surveys
they have conducted.
Upon receiving responses from many of the districts, follow-up phone calls were
made to each responding District. The purposes of the phone calls were to clarify the
information desired for the research and provide delivery instructions. Table 14.2 lists
the solid waste districts that responded to the letter and the information each district
provided.
The benefits of this data source are its abundance (784 businesses surveyed) and the
low cost for data collection. Many of the solid waste district directors also pointed out
other valuable information sources. One drawback of this data collection method is
confidentiality protection of the businesses by the districts. Few districts gave the com-
pany names and contact information of the companies they surveyed, making follow-up